Lawsuit Contains Damning Allegations About Lt. Gov. Candidate

LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Outside a Pulaski County courtroom, Democratic Lt. Governor candidate John Burkhalter downplayed the significance of a legal battle between him and a business partner over an apartment complex they built together in North Little Rock.

But it's accusations inside the lawsuit about the way Burkhalter conducts business that we felt voters should see.

On one occasion in March 2011, the lawsuit says Burkhalter and an "entourage" entered his partner's private office, looked through business documents, recklessly handled guns kept in the office and even pointed a weapon at a pregnant employee.

"Those are absolutely unfounded and untrue," Burkhalter said of the allegations.

On another occasion, the lawsuit says Burkhalter yelled at a female employee, hammered his fists on her desk and "physically came over the desk at her."

Asked whether the people of Arkansas should worry about how he would operate if elected, Burkhalter replied, "No, that's one of the things I'm going to bring back to the office is integrity."

Burkhalter says his partner stole more than $200,000 from their business, and it was only after Burkhalter filed suit that the partner came forward with the allegations.

Burkhalter was in court Wednesday for a hearing on a proposal to sell the Lexington Park apartments to a third party after years of turmoil between Burkhalter and his business partner.

After lawyers spent a half hour with the judge behind closed doors, the court announced the hearing would be postponed until Monday where it would be closed off to the media.

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